Tom Carroll Store

Tom Carroll Board Store

From the Barrel to the Board Store -
Aussie Surf Legend Tom Carroll Returns to his Roots by opening a surf shop in his name.

From his days as a fledgling, freckly-faced grommet attacking the waves of Sydney’s Northern Beaches to his rise to the top of surfing’s ranks, Australian surfing legend, Tom Carroll may appear to have done everything there is in the sport. The 44 year-old ‘surfers surfer’ who still calls Newport Beach home, has logged 15 years full-time on the world tour, claimed victory on every continent, won back-to-back world titles and is famous for redefining surfing’s performance boundaries at testing Hawaiian venues like Sunset Beach and Pipeline. A biography, countless films, magazines and a line of signature surfboards and fins also bare Carroll’s name.

So what next for this eternal grommet, father of three and self-confessed big wave junkie who as recently as two months tow-surfed the “‘biggest, most powerful” waves of his life in Japan after being plonked in the path of a heaving typhoon-swell? The answer: his own surf shop.

The “Quiksilver Tom Carroll Board Store” is Carroll’s latest contribution to the sport he has made his life. Located on Pittwater Road, Mona Vale - just a hop, skip and a jump from his beloved home break of Newport Peak – the store will house everything a boardriding enthusiast might need. From state-of-the-art high performance surfboards and hardware, winter and summer wetsuits, clothing and accessories … for the novice to the expert; male or female; it will all be under the one roof.

Local residents will identify immediately with the store’s location thanks to a giant 30-foot + high cascading wave which has been painted on its exterior since Aussie surf pioneer Nat Young first started his “Fall Line” shop there in the 70s. The premises may have changed hands a few times since, but a modern take on Nat’s early homage still exists and is visible to all traffic heading south and the surfers stuck in it chasing their next rush.

“It’s ironic, I can still remember the first time I visited the shop as a grommet,” recalls Carroll. “It was half the size, smelt strongly of various types of perfumed surfboard wax, there were row and rows of Nat’s surfboards on display and Nat himself always had this larger-than-life presence which made it all quite overwhelming. I have this sense of coming full circle.”

The Quiksilver-Carroll branded alliance is testament to the healthy three decade association Carroll has enjoyed with the Australian-founded surf company. In the late 80s, Carroll effectively became surfing’s first ‘Million dollar Man’ when he signed a lucrative multi-year deal with Quiksilver which helped usher in a new era of professionalism in the sport.

Customers will be in for a special treat with Carroll himself occasionally manning the counter between international wave chasing sojourns. If they can’t catch him in person, there’s every chance he might be heard or seen via the live webcast of Quiksilver’s global events that will be beamed to screens in-store.

“I will still be travelling a lot, but I will be in the store from time to time. A big passion of mine has always been surfboard design and it’ll be fantastic to be able to help newcomers to the sport, or even technically minded people to get the most out of the equipment or offer advice in that area,” explains Carroll.

“The store itself will be very modern. Aiming at the cutting edge of modern surfing needs, but if you look closely, you might get a glimpse of where we’ve come from. There will be a few famous surfboards and some trophies about the place. Maybe even some of the old super-short boardshorts we wore. Or more accurately, that ‘I’ unashamedly wore,” he chuckles.

The list of high profile surfboard shapers supplying boards to the store read like a whose-who of contemporary designers; Al Merrick, Maurice Cole, Webber, Phil Byrne, Rod Dahlberg, Mark Richards, Dick Brewer, JS, Gunther Rohn and thruster inventor Simon Anderson among them. Anderson himself will be supporting the official opening.
Media and the public are welcome.

Official Tom Carroll Board Store Opening
11am – 2pm
Saturday, 25th November.
1729 Pittwater Rd, Mona Vale

In Attendance: Tom Carroll (two-time world surfing champion), Martin Potter (1989 World Champion), Barton Lynch (1998 World Champion), Simon Anderson (shaper and inventor of the three finned surfboard).

Live acoustic Session by: Josh Boots